Friday's Harvest Moon celebrates community

Willits will enjoy another celebration of community and local business this Friday evening, with the 6th annual Harvest Moon Hometown Celebration taking place downtown from 4 to 8 p.m.

As always, businesses along the North Main Street corridor will be open late with deals, discounts and specials. Free entertainment features the always popular aerial acrobatics of Circus Mecca, with live music by Willits Brass, the Willits High School Band, Rotary Ramblers, and the High Five Farmers Market Band. This year, students from Maddy Avena's Zumba class will "burst out in dance" throughout the evening, and the local Boy Scouts will bring their Monkey Swinging Bridge for the kids to play on.

Jill Persico will be doing sandwiches out of the patio at her Loose Caboose Caf? on Wood Street this year, said Lynn Kennelly of the Willits Chamber of Commerce, whose Local First Program produces the hometown celebration events. And the soon-to-be opened Adam's Restaurant (where Purple Thistle used to be) will be offering tastes and samples of what's to come, along with a chance to meet the new chef, Adam Celaya.

Hometown Celebration veterans Jon and Anne Maglinte will be there with hot dogs and popcorn, as well as Olin and Lea with their wood-fired pizza and Kemmy's Pies.

Not to forget the popular prize wheel, offering spins for prizes donated by local merchants and a variety of booths from businesses and nonprofits.

"It's a great time on the streets," said Linda Matz of Cat's Meow, one of the Local First committee members. "It's festive, with good food and music. You get to see people you haven't seen for a while, and wander into stores you might not normally go into.

"I've always viewed it as our way to say thank you to the community for being so supportive of local businesses," Matz said.